Author Feature – Zackery Henderson Pandora’s Hope by R.B. Reardon

Zackery Henderson has always wanted to be the hero, much like the ones he’s played in the video games he loved so much – and he loved them for the simple distraction they provided during yet another painful deployment that separated him from his father. Now that his father was almost home from Afghanistan, Zack thought he would be able to get his life back on track. Back on track like, perhaps, any other teenager. You know, the mundane – school, homework, girls…

Yeah, right.

When Zack’s father returns home with a strange souvenir from the Middle East – a smooth, bronze stone with a powerful draw – his world is about to change… and not for the better. Zack is thrust into an inter-dimensional battle that will change the shape of reality as he, and the world, know it. He must stand between worlds – literally – as he fights to master the changes going on inside him, and the forces that have been set forth to stop those changes. Will he succeed or will the world as we know it cease to exist?

R.B. Reardon was gracious enough to do an interview. Let’s learn a little more about the author.

What do you think is your very best feature or characteristic?

My wife would say my Wit and Humor. When I’m writing I like to think like the character, in this case a 16-year-old boy, and think of something clever a boy would say that not only entertains the reader but gives them a chance to laugh, grin, or giggle. That’s why I write.

Do you save trinkets and mementos?

I have a couple things from my grandfather that passed away a few years ago but besides that I don’t hold onto much. I’m not a minimalist but I don’t like clutter.

Do you like to plan things or do you like to be more spontaneous?

Life needs to be a good mix of plans and spontaneity. There’s no excitement when everything is planned and it’s too chaotic if you let the sails take over.

If you could have any superhero power, what would it be and why?

Invulnerability. I’ve grown up idolizing superhero’s like Superman and Wolverine and always thought to myself “If I were invincible I would save the world.” Which is why I joined the Army and served ten years. It was as close to helping to save the world as I could get.

What is one goal you plan to accomplish during your lifetime?

Making a living through my stories. My son loves to write. My wife loves to write. If we can live comfortably off our stories I’d say we “Made it.”

Did you choose writing or did it choose you?

I’ve written stories since I was in second grade. I used to draw comics. I wrote a 35 page story in Second grade and won a Creative Writing contest. I wouldn’t say it’s in my blood but its definitely what I was meant to do. I’ll do it regardless if I “Make it.”

What makes you laugh the most?

Witty one-liners and happy endings. Everyone gets a laugh out of fails on YouTube or kitten’s doing goofy things. I appreciate those video’s but I laugh far more at Bad Dad Jokes and happy endings of a story than I do any of the usual slapstick comedy.

What is your biggest pet peeve with modern technology?

The reliance. I’d like to sit in a cabin in the woods and write with no care, but now-a-days I have to have my email up. I have to be active on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in order to get a following and even then it’s incredibly hard.

What advice would you offer an aspiring writer?

Write. Doesn’t matter if it’s awful or full of errors. Just write. Even if its on a notepad that you throw away eventually. If you’re not willing to write when you do not have the motivation too; your writing when you do have the motivation won’t be as good if you were practicing all along.

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R.B. Reardon grew up a comic book and video game junkie. Stemming from those passions came a love for reading and mythology. The idea to combine all of those elements into a novel of his own did not sprout until ‘Elpys’ floated from a 2015 nighttime dream onto paper. Cliché, sure, but all of the best story ideas come from dreams.

As a U.S. Army war veteran, Mr. Reardon has seen the real heroes in action. He served three overseas tours in the Army, separated from his wife and children for months at a time. While the fantastical adventures Zack embarks on are fiction, the emotions felt during the deployment reunion described in this novel are as real as pages of this book.

Mr. Reardon lives in Georgia with his wife, their three children, and spastic Boxer, Moose.